Which is the best book to learn visual C++ ?

Question

I've learned the essentials of C++ and would like to learn Visual C++ (VC++) I want to be master in native , MFC and .NET for Windows programming. I already bought a book on VC++ by Ivor Horton. But the language seems hard to understand.

Does anyone have any better book recommendations?

Answer 1

It also have very hard language to understand , sometimes i find some topics very confusing(

Answer 2

For native windows programming, I've always liked the Programming Windows From the Ground Up. It's old, but not a lot has changed here. The classic is Programming Windows by Charles Petzold. Either would be a good choice.

Answer 3

I would recommend you to start with Windows Via C/C++ by Jeffery M. Ritcher.

Answer 4

If you haven't already, you might try the MSDN. It has come a long way in the last 5 or so years.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e6w9eycd.aspx

Good luck!

Answer 5

For native Win32 Development:

• "The Petzold"

and once you become more familiar with the API

• Windows via C/C++

For MFC:

• Microsoft Visual C++ Windows Applications By Example: Code & explanation for real-world MFC C++ applications

For .NET:

• Visual C# 2008 Step by Step

somewhat more advanced...

• Illustrated C# 2008
• Accelerated C# 2008

Keep in mind there are many more good books for each of these categories (.NET Especially), these ones are just the ones I have enjoyed reading in particular. C# is also not the only language for .NET development, I just think it is more suitable for you coming from C++. Once you get more into .NET you will also want to take a look at LINQ and many other great features.

Answer 6

Those are great suggestions, you might also want to try this site, http://www.relisoft.com/win32/index.htm. The tutorial is great and it explains the topics in a very straight forward manner.

Also, keep in mind that MFC is a different mental model that .NET. MFC uses what's called command routing to process Windows messages when your user interacts with the application. That being said, it's completely understandable if you have the time and patience.

Answer 7

C++ Coding Standards: 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices"

Answer 8

If you want to be good at C++, don't learn .net, it's rubbish.

Answer 9

I recommend Visual C++ 2008 How to Program

Answer 10

I really dislike Horton's book, it is slapped together and not coherent. You can get Visual C++ 6.0 Unleashed for free here. It has an MFC perspective and is quite readable and well-organized. 90% of the book translates to VS2005 (Visual C++ 8.0) and VS2008 (Visual C++ 9.0) directly.